Means for forming concrete blocks



Sept. 8, 1925.

E. M. LANE MEANS FOR FORMINGVCONCRETE BLOCKS Filed Feb. 13, 1924 2 Sheets-Shut 1 Jij/39.1,.

sept. s, 1925l 1,552,712

E. M. LAN E MEANS- FOR FORMING CONCRETE BLOCKS Fnac! Feb. 15, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 2 State of South Carolina, have invented cer- Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

i UNITED oFFicE.

EDWARD M, LANE, or oHARLEsToN, soUTH c'AnoL'INA;

MEANS ron FOBMING QNCRETE isnocxs. I

Apbnatio filed February i To all whom t may concern.;

Be it knownthatI, EDWARD l\/[.LA Nn1,.a y

citizen of theUnited States, residing at Charleston, in the county ofCharleston and tain new and useful Improvements in Means for Forming Concrete Blocks, ofy lwhich the following is a specification.. f -s This invention, relatesto afmethodyvand apparatus for use in the manufacture `,of hol, v low concrete blocks for building purposes, and more specically to concrete blocks hav?.` r ing faces to simulate brick work. j n The presentfnventiony mayf be regarded I as in part a further modicationof that deL,- scribed and shown in my prior-copending application, Serial No; 659,845, tiled Augustvr 28, 1923, in which I have disclosed thej use of removable strips forforming-imitation mortar joints. In such anl arrangemenathe blocksV were formed .facefdown in thefniold. ,TheV present inventiondiffer'sfrom that, shown in the above mentioned application in `that I now propose to provide meansfor forming blocks faceup in the mold, and to f this end I propose to support the imitationl mortar -joint forming stripsat the top o fthe mold. .A further f ,eatureof thepresent invention consists in a method ofk forming` notches or hollowsin lthe end portions the blocks,- in ordento producestru cytur'al` building. elements I which readilyflend. themselves, to`Y the' desired, method of assembling in a Wall Vsothat air spaces extending'verti-f` cally through'the wall may be provided, as isusual'. In order that theinventioninay bercadg: ily understood, referencer is had v to the z ac y companying drawings,-in whiehz Figure 1 is'a plan vieu7 of-,my i moldbox; 4.J s Figure 2-is a side .elevation thereof-,

' transverse sectionj-therec f` mproved Figure 31s a on thev line 3-8 `of 4Figure 2;, Figure Lis a plan view showing. a moditied arrangement of the .imitation mortar, joint forming. strips; f 1- Figure 5 is a perspectiveview illustrating my improved method of notching the tends, of the freshly formed blocks; and y Figure 6 'is' a- ;perspective view showing the appearance of a finished block. Referring to the draWingsJinY-detail, and

particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 1,3 thereof, my improved mold box 'is similar in; con} 3,1924. semaine). 692,596.

ing application, above referred to. The box comprisesfa bottom 1, side walls 2 and 3,

l struction tothat lshown in my -prior copendhinged to the` bottom at 4, and end walls 5 hinged lto the ends ofthe rear side wall 3, yby means o'f hinges 6. vThe walls and bottom of the box are held together in operative position, as shown in the drawings, by means oflclatches or vfasteners yof any suitable or desired type@ y Af-pair' of openings 8 are formed in the front wall 2, in order to receive cores 9.

These cores preferably vcomprise perforated sheet metal ,containers having one end integraljtherewith, as indicated at 1.0, and theV otherv end. closed :by means" of a plug ory block ,11.' These containers, Yfilled vwith sand v'orQother absorbent" material, are inserted l through lthe `,openings8and are supported in horizontalfposition within the box by meansfofjpins 12, secured`A thereto and enter;V

ing alinedopeni'ngs 13'a'nd14, formed in a- [The imitation mortar joint forming strips pallet board 15 and` the rear wall 3, respec-U4 tively.

end of the `Vmold box, and supported vin"f notches, 5?, vformed in `theV lextreme upper edges of .the end walls 5, Detachably connectedfwiththestrip16as by means of dowel l.pinsl orthe like, are a seriesof yshorter transversely extending strips 17,

suitably; spacedin staggered relation,v and supported attheir outer ends Vfin notches 19 and." 20,y formed in theupper edges ofthe pallet vboard115 and the side VWalls ,of the boxrrespectively. s f

' Other absorbent cores 21, preferably comprising v perforated sheet metal containers filledV with: sand,"are located in two corners of the box, asshown invFigure 1, and the upperedges'of these cores are recessed or lnotched., asshown `at 22 to rece-ive the strip 16. i l

Inusing thelabove described box for form,- ing blocks, a ylayer of paper onthelilre is `first.preferably,placed on .the bottom,- to

prevent sticking.` The absorbent cores being in position as shown, wetjconcrete is then.

deposited linthe box until within a short distance v0f the top. Then, a special mixture foi-the ornamental `vvface is applied, land filled ein between and around the strips 16 and 1 7;kr The iilledjbox is then preferably subjected to vibration, as by means of any well known jogging table orV device, and;l

after a few minutes, the water hastbeen suficiently absorbed by the cores 9 and 2l toVv permit the cores 9 to be withdrawnandthemold box to be opened up and the block turned over on its side,v` resting upon the pallet board, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. The strips 16 must, of course, be removed before the box is opened and the blockk turned over.

As. illustrated in Figure 1', the strips 16 and 17 are separable from each other andV may be independently removed one at ay time,"being preferably withdrawn endw-ise to prevent mutilating the grooves in theconcrete. v

In some cases, however, I may rigidly'and permanently attach all ofthe stripsA tof gether. This is shown in Figure hainwhich 16ar represents the longitudinally extending strip and 17n the transversely extending.

strips. These latter are rigidly secured; to the stripla, as by'means of" T-plates23' or by other' suitable means. Vh'en using the strips constructedas in Figuret, the entire set is, of course, liftedl vertically out' o'f 'the notches in the upper Tedges of"thebox`, when it is desiredy to remove the same.

In order to formi hollows or notches in the ends of the blocks t-o facilitate forma.- tio-n of air spaces when the blocks areas# sembled in a wall, I follow the methodiil; lustrated in Figure` 5. Referring to1A this ligure, the block is shown'a's it, appearszwhen removed from the mold and: restingb upon the pallet board'l.'` The block coinprisesa lower row of brick faces a* and an upper" row b, separated by an imitation mortar joint @formed by the strip 1.6, the bricks themselves in each rowbeing separated'by' imitation mortar joints ai forme'dtv by' the strips 17. TheV cavities or openings el exL tending Y vertically through' the: center ofi the block are formed by the cores 9,jwhile"the` stepped ends f are formedtby th`e`cor`es 2.1i. As above stated, when theb'l'oickv is're-v moved from the mold, it is stillin green" or soft condition, and is' restingupon the pallet' board 15. As soon asl itis removed'.

formingwit'h the shape of the profile-oftheV After the tem'` plate has been placed'in position, as shown,

recess B in the template.

the scoop or cutter Gis laid against'the inner face of the recess Band moved Verti# I also provide at.

rectangular, so asto conform in shape with the openings e. I haveI found that.l this method'of'c'utting or sooo-ping out the endsL oftlie blocks, whilel still;soft, by means'of-"a template and special tool, can'be'done 1easily and rapidly and is preferableto attempting to `form such notches by means'ofl a core inl-v serted in the mold box;

In some cases, aftertherequisite experience, a skilled. operatorwill'be able tofusel the'scoop C alone, without-the necessity-oa template, andfwill'be ablev to makeaf cut of suiiicient accuracy by manually positioningv the tooll This," of.' course, is easier and quicker, and where suchv free hand methodl is employed, `the number of` blocks which an' operator canturn out inaday is-considerably. increased.

What I claim-is:-

1'; The combination with aI horizontal open top` mold b ox for'making1 'building' blocks having a; face tolv simulate brick work, of ai removable stripI disposed atthe top ofthe box to forman imitation mortar joint in theA exposed faceI of th'eblock; the upperV edges of-` two opposite walls of'the box'. having notchesin whichi saidl strip is tioned.

2. The' combination with ahorizontal=4 open top mold, box for making kbuildingblockshaving'a face to simulate-bricklwork, ofi aA set4 ofV removable strips disposed at the top of the b'oX to form-'imitation mortarjoints` in the exposed1 face of the block, the upper edges of the walls of the box having notches* in which saidY strips arev supported andi by lmeans; of which/ they arel positioned.

3. The combination with aV horizontal openv` topl mold; box for making building blocks having a face to simulate bri-ckwor-k, of a set` ofv removable strips disposed altthe top of the boxto form imitation mortar joints in the eXposed-f'ace-of` the block, the-1 upper edgesofthe wallsof theboxhavingl` supportedand vby means of which itis posi;

a series' ofL notches vformed,L therein, one of?V said'strips resting at both ends' inl said pl notches fand beingV whollysupported thereby, andE others of* said strips resting ati one endin one ofsaidjnotches,and-being supported) at their otherend-by said first-strip.

4. The combination with aL horizontal open top mold box for making building blcks'having a; face to simulate brickworfk, of a set"l off removable separable strips-disl and others of said strips resting athaving a bottom and sides, of a vertioalpallet board disposed inside the box, adjacent one of the side Walls thereof, and a remoV- able strip'disposed at the top of the box to form an imitation mortar joint in theexposed `face of the block, the upper edges of said pallet board and side Wall having registering notches in which said stripy is supported, and by means owhioh it is positioned.

In testimony whereof I aix my4 signature.

EDWARD M.y LANE. 

